Inking mechanism



June 1, 1965 J. G. GAULlN INKING MECHANISM 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Dec. 19 1962 I I/ INVENTOR.

' JOSEPH GUY GAULIN ATTORNEY.

June 1, 1965 J. G. GAULIN INKING MECHANISM 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Dec. 19 1962 IN VENTOR.

JOSEPH euY GAULIN ATTORNEY.

United States Patent 3,186,335 INKING MECHANISM Joseph Guy Gaulin, 65 Langevin Ave., Fairview, Mass. Filed Dec. 19, 1962, Ser. No. 245,894 3 Claims. (Cl. 101-457) The present invention is directed to new and useful improvements and structural refinements in the art of rotary intaglio printing and more particularly to the provision of improved methods and structures for the inking of cylinders of high speed rotary intaglio printing presses.

The invent-ion hereof envisions a unique construction including a novel ink containing means allowing a system for containing a body of ink adjacent the upper ascending quadrant of a printing cylinder, and longitudinally of the length thereof, and for regulating and controlling the quantity of that ink while keeping the pigment uniformly distributed throughout the body of the ink within the ink containing means preparatory to and while loading the cylinder.

, It will be helpful to an understanding of my invention first to briefly consider some of the essential points and more important features and aspects thereof, so that same may be kept in mind during subsequent reading of the detailed description of one practical embodiment of my improvements and illustration thereof in the hereunto annexed drawings.

Two general methods of inking rotary intag-lio printing cylinders have been known heretofore. One consists in merely rotating the cylinder in an ink-containing bath or fountain, wherefore the cells of the engraving become filled with the ink, any excess thereof being removed by a conventional reciprocating doctor blade for the conditioning ofthe cylinder for the subsequent printing operation. With the introduction of higher speed presses, made possible by the use of a closed fountain, such inking system was found unsatisfactory as, at higher running speeds, the ink would not feed the engraving uniformly, resulting in poor printing. Accordingly, the second method was developed consisting in pressure-forcing an elongated stream or ribbon of ink against the rotating cylinder, such method now being in common use in the enclosed rotary gravure ink fountains, and having largely supplanted the earlier ink bath or fountain method, but not without its own inherent difficulties. If a continuous open slot is used to discharge the ink against the printing cylinder, high pump pressures are required to fill the engravings, presenting serious attendant splashingproblems in that the ink so splashed is likely to be forced against the printing surface, as well as throughout adjacent areas of the printing press. Contrariwise, if the ink is merely pumped through a series of spaced openings, the lateral speed of the ink is uneven, cells are stripped, and poor printing frequently results. Too, in the usual pressure system employed to produce such a thin ribbon of ink, the actual area of contact of the body of ink with the cylinder is small, wherefore there is a tendency to cause the cells of the cylinder to become partially filled with dried ink so as deleteriously to affect printing quality.

The invention herein comprehended envisions coopcrant instr-umentalities in the form of a doctor blade and an applicator unitary therewith, which unitedly insure the prevention of this aforedescribed objectionable ink splashing. By such integration of doctor blade and applicator, an ink-containing reservoir is provided which is enclosed save for opposite end ports. That is, the reservoir is enclosed in the sense that the trough-shaped member of the applicator and the doctor blade, both carried by a support, define conjointly a U-shaped construction with the mouth thereof being disposed in juxtaposition to an arcuate portion of the surface of the printing cylinder in manner whereby said surface functions as a reservoir-enclosing wall and where only the opposite end ports at opposite ends of the longitudinal length of the combined structure are open to the atmosphere.

In contradistinction, I have devised a novel means, which particularly precludes the objectionable aforesaid splashing by obviating the condition of turbulence at the cylinder surface, commonly induced when and as ink is introduced to the rotating cylinder under any degree of force or pressure. With the system hereof, I cause the ink to fill the cells by coming into a firm, but non-turbulent, contact with the cylinder, with an absence of the ambient pressures or forces found in the prior art devices.

In accordance with my invention, an intaglio printing cylinder may be effectively inked by rotating the same relative to the ink containing means, ink being delivered to said ink containing means at a relatively low pressure from a source of supply and being so maintained there- Within in contact with the surface of the rotative cylinder as completely to fill the cells of the engraving with ink in manner whereby the thickness of the film of ink adhering to the surface of the rotating cylinder as it rotates may be controlled by the doctoring off of the predetermined excess of ink.

The rotative motion of the cylinder serves to impart a unique rotative motion to the ink charge wherefore same is freely circulated within the cylinder, said circulation being aided and abetted by the generated force resultant from the said rotative movement and addition-ally resultant from the doctoring of the excess ink and the directing of same interiorly within the reservoir in a circuitous route first within the upper portion of the defined area and reversely from the cylinder surface toward the heel of the reservoir, and thence generally downwardly relative to the said heel, and thence again reversely and forwardly toward the cylinder urface within the lower portion of the defined area, all in manner where splashing is precluded and yet where optimum ink agitation is allowed to maintain it in a well-mixed, substantially homogeneous state.

As another salient feature hereof, it will be noted that the ink applying means is not centered beneath the rotating printing cylinder, as in the case of many prior art fountains where a trough, suitably supported beneath the cylinder, is usually provided with a plurality of spaced inlet orifices through which the ink is supplied under pressure and is further usually provided with an ink pan adapted to catch any ink that may overflow from the fountain and return same to an ink reservoir for recirculation. Rather, in the present invention, an enclosed openended means is taught which is strategically positioned relative to the upper quadrant of the cylinder on the ascending side thereof in manner wherefore the ink-to-cylindcr applying function is carried out close to the doctoring function. 1

As aforesaid, the assemblage is unitary wherefore the desideratum of applying ink closely to the doctoring area is realized.

As a further salient feature, the integration of doctor blade and applicator makes easier the cleaning of the assemblage, there being fewer operating parts to care for, thereby eliminating clogging as in the case of the elongated stream or ribbon types earlier referred to and further allowing a confined and restricted operating area wherein splashing is controlled so as to be non-objectionable, if not entirely eliminated.

As a particular refinement of the invention, I comprehend a unique method for keeping the pigment of the ink uniformly distributed throughout the body of the reservoir by the inherent automatic agitation induced by cylinder rotation in that as the cylinder rotates, it sets up a local current or eddy in the ink adjacent to its surface, which convection current travels with the surface of the cylinder to the point of juncture with the doctoring edge of the doctor blade. Since a relatively small amount of ink is allowed to pass by said doctoring edge, the convection current is directed away from the cylinder surface and travels in a reverse direction following the lower inner wall portion of the doctor blade and the lower clamp part of a doctor blade support bar and following downwardly at the heel of a trough member only to be again reversed in its direction as it travels along the reservoir wall and is directed back toward the rotating cylinder. Such direction of travel creates a rotative motion in the body of ink.

But additionally thereto, and for the reason that the inlet by which the ink is introduced to the applicator from the supply source is preferably, though not obligatorily,

located centrally thereof, the ink will be observed to establish a pair of rotating currents, both emanating at the applicator midsection and moving oppositely as to and away from each other in a direction transversely of the cylinder length wherefore a pair of outwardly-moving motions are created which cooperatively with the aforedescribed rotative motion create a pair of spiralling everadvancing currents of ink. V 7

That is, by virtue of the continuous supply of new ink being admitted to the reservoir, there is an inherent tende'ncy for such rotating currents to be created on both of the opposite sides of the point or section where the ink supply is introduced to the reservoir Wherefore, the ink is caused to travel in opposite directions outwardly from said point or section to the end that the ink is continually advancing transversely in a pair of oppositely-facing directions as Well as rotating, thus attaining the effect of a pair of spiral currents.

Too, by such convection currents or eddies, the mass of the ink in the reservoir is affected so as to eliminate any dead or una gitated areas wherefore the quality of the ink picked up by the cylinder remains constant and uniform in that the pigment in the ink is continuously under agitation so as to be maintained in optimum suspension and to preclude any thinning of the ink with resultant loss of color by virtue of any pigment settling through gravity forces.

The present invention is thus directed to a novel method of causing the local convection currents, set up in the applicator adjacent the printing cylinder, to diverge from their natural paths and to cause the mass of ink to flow within the applicator in such manner as not only thoroughly to agitate the ink and to set up and maintain an even distribution of the pigment therein, but also to be uniformly distributed throughout all areas of the reservoir wherefore the loading of the cylinder at all points along its length is assured, and all without the necessity of introducing any forces other than the relatively quiescent force which allows the delivery of ink to the applicator and the rotative force which allows the cylinder rotation.

The invention comprehends a particular construction, arrangement, combination, and relationship of the various elements, components and instrumentalities of an ink applying system as exemplified in the following detailed disclosure wherein the objects hereof, as defined in these paragraphs, and in the subsequent disclosure, will be apparent.

Other features and objects of the invention will be set forth in connection with the appended detailed description of the present preferred embodiment and it will be understood that the foregoing general description and the following detailed description of the invention are illustrative and exemplary, but are not restrictive of the invention.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of an ink applicator embodying the essential apparatus features of my invention;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary, broken top plan View of the ink applicator shown in FIG. 1; and

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary, roken front elevational view of the trough member of the invention.

In the following description and in the appended claims, various components and details thereof will be identified by specific names for purposes of convenience. Although specific terms and expressions are employed for purposes 7 of identifying various components, they are used in a generic and descriptive sense only and are intended to be as generic in their application as the art will permit. They are not intended to exclude any reasonable equivalents of the features shown and described or portions thereof.

With continued reference now to the drawings, which illustrate a typical and preferred embodiment of the invention for the purpose of disclosure and form a part of this specification, I have shown my invention applied to a rotary intaglio printing press of the general type disclosed in PaardecampPatent No. 2,278,138, issued March 31, 1942, in order that the general relation and utility of the invention may be better understood as advantageously incorporated with a typical rotary intaglio printing press.

It will be understood, however, that the invention is not restricted in its use to such a press, but is applicable for use in intaglio printing presses generally.

In such rotary intaglio printing presses, it will be observed that it allows of a printing cylinder P and an impression cylinder I arranged substantially at the side thereof, so as to constitute asub stantially horizontally disposed printing couple through which a web W may be fed sub.

stantially vertically downwardly for printing on one side thereof. Contrariwise, and if desired, the invention hereof maybe used with equal facility in conjunction with any well-known and available rotary intaglio printing press, such, for example, as the type comprehending a verticallyarranged printing couple where the impression cylinder is positioned directly over the'printing cylinder.

Printing cylinder P is mounted on a suitably journalled shaft S in conventional manner.

Ink applicator A embodies the apparatus features of my invention. I

Ink is supplied to the printing cylinder by means of ink applicator A positioned at a side thereof, and excess ink is removed from its peripheral surface, wherefore the said surface is conditioned for printing, by means of a suitable doctor blade. That is, at a point where the surface of the printing cylinder emerges by its own rotative mo'vementfrorn the reservoir of the ink applicator, the outer free end of a doctor blade is juxtaposed, said doctor blade being unitary with the applicator, and serving to scrape excess ink from the cylinder surface and to charge it back into the reservoir interior.

As shown, the ink applicator embodying the essential apparatus features of my invention comprehends broadly a generally horizontal, longitudinally-extending oscillator bar 2, same being preferentially of a length substantially in excess of the width of printing cylinder P with which it is interrelated. Said bar is linked to the usual oscillating means of a printing press normally serving to effectuate horizontal, side-to-side, doctor blade oscillation in back and forth strokes in the order of /2 inch or so in length, and relative to the printing cylinder which it serves.

Bar 2 supports, near each of its opposite extremities, a transversely disposed, forwardly extending, adjustable swing mount 4 adapted to support a horizontal, longitudinally-extending doctor blade support bar, generally indicated by 6, which extends generally parallel to and is spaced from and forwardly of said bar. The oscillator bar may employ additional of such swing mounts 4, lengthwise of the bar and in spaced relationship thereto, when and as circumstances may dictate.

A doctor blade adjusting means is associated with each said swing mount 4 and comprehends a horizontallyextending oscillator bar screw 10 which is threadedly receivable through a suitable transversely-extending opening in oscillator bar 2 in manner to allow an unthreaded forwardmost portion thereof to be receivablethrough a suitably-aligned opening extending through the swing mount to which it is stationarily secured by means of a pair of collars 12 or equivalent, staked or otherwise secured to the screw at opposite ends of swing mount as by collar pins 13.

The rearwardmost end of portion of screw is fitted with a manually-engageable adjusting knob 14 secured thereto as by an adjusting knob pin 16 or similar staking means, and inboard thereof, a secondary locking knob 18, threadedly engaged upon the shank of screw 10, is rotatably movable therealong, as appropriate, for functioning as a lock nut to allow fine incremental'screw adjustments.

It is to be appreciated that screw It is movable, relative to said oscillator bar, between rearwardmost and forwardmost positions and intermediate positions therebetween by the rotative movement imparted thereto through adjusting knob 14.

Additionally, each swing mount 4 comprehends an integral, downwardly-depending, swing mount flange or projection 5 through which a suitable, transverse, horizontally-extending pivot pin opening is provided, in which opening a doctor blade support pivot pin 20 is receivable.

Still further, each said swing mount is nestably received between the spaced vertically-extending arms 22 of a doctor blade adjusting bracket associated therewith, which i said arms are suitably provided with aligned pivot pin openings therethrough, in which openings the said doctor blade support pivot pin is likewise receivable, with the flange or projection 5 being nested therebetween, to allow a pivotal movement of said doctor blade adjusting bracket relative to the swing mounts. A tensioning assembly for tensioning the doctor blade, to be hereinafter described, is constituted by a tension screw 24 which serves each said doctor blade adjusting bracket, is disposed in vertical alignment with and above its respective screw 16), and is supported relative to said oscillator bar by means of a suitably apertured upstanding portion of a tension screwbracket 26 secured to the upper planar surface thereof. The tension screw is loosely engaged in the aperture 27 of the upstanding portion of said bracket. A forwardly-extending portion of the tension screw, terminating in a terminal cap 28 stationarily secured thereto, is nestably received between the upper extremities of the spaced upright arms 22, the terminal cap and upper extremities of the arms being suitably provided with alignable apertures to allow reception therethrough of a tension screw pivot pin 30 wherewith the tension screw is interrelated to its respective doctor blade adjusting bracket. 7

Additionally, the tensioning assembly comprehends a tension screw adjustment nut 32, threadedly receivable on the tension screw forwardly of the tension screw bracket 26, and a tension spring 34, sleeved upon the tension screw between nut 32 and bracket 26, with opposite together throughout their lengths by clamp bolts 44, or equivalent, provided in any desired number, said clamp' parts being configured as to allow the clamping therebetween of a longitudinally-extending flexible doctor blade 50 of usual and known configuration, in such man:

ner that the doctor blade extends generally-horizontally and forwardly of said doctor blade support bar.

In the present embodiment,"the doctor blade will be so positioned that its forward doctoring edge 5 2 will define the junction of the doctor blade and the peripheral surface of the cylinder, and as willhereinafter appear,

6 said junction may be moved upwardly and downwardly relative to the arcuate surface of the cylinder.

Additionally, bolts 46 or the like will serve to secure outwardly-extending webs 48 of the doctor blade adjusting bracket seating upon the upper planar surface of upper clamp part 40, wherefore the doctor blade adjusting bracket and doctor blade support bar are so interrelated that any pivotal movement of the former is reflected in a concomitant movement of the latter.

Lower clamp part 42 is provided with an angularlydisposed recess extending inwardly from the lower planar surface thereof for the clamping reception therein of the upper side portion 60 of a longitudinally-extending, gen erally U-shaped, flexible, trough member 62, formed from rubber or reasonable equivalent, which said upper side portion may be held relatively to the lower clamp part by means of screws 64 or equivalent.

The bottom or heel 65 of the trough member interconnects the rearward edges of the upper side portion 66 and a lower side portion 66 which extends forwardly to allow a forwardly-facing edge 68 to be held in fluid tight adjacency to printing cylinder P in the manner of an apron.

The U-shaped trough member 62 will be observed to define in conjunction with the lower clamp part42 of doctor blade support bar 6 supporting same and the doctor blade 59 and the adjacent surface of the printing cylinder P between the apron 68 and the doctoring edge 52, an ink reservoir, delineated by numeral 70.

Ink is charged to said reservoir through a suitable inlet fitting 72 extended beneath the trough member and having an upper extremity received through a suitable opening therein.

A forwardly-facing deflector 74 may be provided at the upper extremity of inlet fitting 72 wherefore ink may be directed downwardly within the lower area of the reservoir 70 and forwardly toward the cylinder.

The opposite edge of the inlet fitting may be connected by a suitable supply pipe or conduit 76 of flexible or rigid tubing for communication with an ink supply or source (not shown).

The apron 68 may be adjusted relatively to the printing cylinder so as to'allow movement of the apron upwardly and downwardly relative to the cylinders arcuate surface by means of a plurality of horizontal, transverselydisposed, forwardly-extending apron adjusting bars 89, each normally being disposed vertically below one of said swing mounts 4 and screws lit.

An actuating means for efiectuating reciprocating forward and rearward movement of bar 80 is constituted by an apron adjusting bar screw 82 having a forwardmost portion threadedly receivable in a suitably aligned opening extending inwardly from the rearward face of said bar.

Screw 82 is loosely receivable through a suitable apron adjusting bar opening 84 provided through a downwardlydepending apron adjusting bar flange 86 secured to oscillator bar 2 as by screws 88 or similar devices and is provided at its rearward extremity with a manually-engageable. apron adjusting bar screw operating knob 90. A collar is pinned, to screw 82 as by a pin 87 for allowing relative movement of bar 80 and operating knob 96. Bar 80 is adapted to support an elongated-horizontallydisposed forwardly-facing apron-adjusting bar extension 92, secured thereto as by vertically-disposed bolts 94 or equivalent. i

The forward portion of said apron adjusting bar extension envisions a two part arrangement, the main body portion upwardly supporting the lower side portion 66 of the trough member and a smaller plate portion being disposed above said lower side portion wherefore the lower side portion of, the trough member is clamped therebetween as by screws 96 or equivalent.

It. will be understood that said apron adjusting bar extension will be suitably apertured for the reception therethrough of the inlet fitting 72.

Additionally, said bar 80 will be suitably apertured with an elongated slot at its approximate midsection so as to allow the seating of an' integral apron adjusting bar boss ltltl depending downwardly from oscillator bar 2 on the top planar surface thereof, which boss will be suitably apertured for the threaded reception therein of a vertically-extending apron adjusting bar locking screw 102, which screw will be provided with a manually-engageable apron adjusting bar locking screw operating knob 104. Rotative movement of the knob 104 can bring screw 102 into tight embracement against bar 80 so as to hold same in locked position relative to bar 2.

An overflow member 110, shown in phantom in the drawing, is positioned substantially beneath printing cylinder P and comprises vertically-disposed end walls 112 adjacent opposite ends of the cylinder, connected by a lowermost, horizontal, longitudinally-extending bottom wall 114, said trough-shaped member being of slightly greater length than the cylinder which it serves, the entire structure being'formed of any suitable thin sheet metal, such as copper, stainless steel, or the like, and being provided with a suitable outlet 116 connected to the ink supply whereby ink received therein may be returned to I periphery from the point when the surface of the cylinder the supply source for recirculation through conduit 76 and V inlet fitting 7 2.

. larization of doctor blade support bar 6 through its pivotal movement upon doctor blade support pivot pin' 20 wherefore the doctor blade support bar is driven forwardly toward printing cylinder P. Since the forward edge 52 of the doctor blade is disposed upon the arcuate surface of the printing cylinder, the said forward edge of necessity follows the incline upwardly and thereby assumes a small er angle relatively to the cylinder periphery. The rotative movement rearwardly of the screw will achieve the opposite result, that of causing the forward edge 52 to travel downwardly on the arcuate cylinder surface and accordingly allowing a greater angle between the doctor blade and the cylinder.

With the doctor blade positioned relatively to the cylinder according to a predetermined selected position, the tension screw 24 is then loaded by the adjusting of tension screw adjustment nut 32.

The resultantly created force insures the tensioning of the doctor blade adjusting bracket relative to its pivotal mounting upon doctor blade support pivot pin 20 so as to effect a desired tension upon the doctor blade support bar.

In the operation of my improved ink applicator, after it has been properly adjusted relative to the printing cylinder in the manner described above, ink is pumped by suitable means from the ink supply source through supply pipe 76 and inlet fitting 72 leading to the applicator. The deflector 74 serves to cause the major portion'of the ink to flow forwardly in the enclosed reservoir 70 defined by the trough member 62, doctor blade 50, lower clamp part 42 of the doctor blade'support bar 6, and adjacent peripheral surface of the cylinder. Y

The agitation of the ink of the applicator is caused primarily by the rotation of the cylinder and permits a sufiicient contact of the cells of the engraving with the ink to cause a filling thereof to their full depth so as to provide an effective inking of the cylinder.

The local convection currents are generated by the dra of the rotating cylinder relative to the ink reservoir so-as to travel in a pair of circuitous paths along the cylinder ly-moving long spiral ribbons will meet centrally of the first contacts with the ink in the reservoir to the point where the doctor blade joins the surface of the'cylinder. At this point, since relatively little ink can escape between the cylinder periphery and the edge of the doctor blade, the surplus ink is scraped off by the doctor blade and together with the current of ink following therebehind by virtue of the rotating cylinder periphery is deflected or turned back from the doctor blade and caused to travel back downwardly into the body of ink removed from the cylinder surface to a point where it is again deflected and its direction of flow reversed so as to mingle again with the current of ink following the periphery of the cylinder. In so moving, it assumes not only a pair of rotative courses but it travels outwardly toward the cylinder ends as well.

It is here to be explained that the opposite ends of the trough member will be open or non-enclosed as at 67, Wherefore the ink spiralling outwardly will be allowed to drop away therefrom and into the overflow member, all without splashing upon the ends of the printing cylinder. As an additonal feature which may be preferential, though not obligatory, the lower side portion 66 of trough member 62 may be so formed as to allow its opposite free ends 69 to be arched in a gradually inclining manner relative to the horizontal plane of its longitudinal axis wherefore its forward edge 68, or apron as I have sometimes delineated same, is extended further upwardly on the cylinder periphery, so as to decrease the length of the r are between said apron and the forward edge of the doctor blade at the opposite cylinder ends than inwardly thereof.

Such would serve to reduce the surface area of the cylinder coming in contact with the spiral flow of ink inside of the reservoir causing said spiral flow of ink to change toward a side fiow and to fall at' the end of the reservoir in a manner so as to keep it away from the rotating cylinder.

Considering this spiral flow of ink to be made up of not only a circular component but also a side component, such shaping of the lip will serve to cause the circular component to gradually change into the side component as the flow reaches the end of the reservoir, the resultant action being such that the ink flows out the end of reservoir in a direction away from the cylinder.

By the close setting of the applicator and the proper shaping of the lip ends no ink is allowed to flow on or hit the ends of the cylinder P.

This effect could also be achieved by so shaping member 92 as to allow its upper planar surface, i.e. the surface receiving the portion 62 of the trough member to lie in a higher plane at its extremities than at its central main section. v

If desired, the ink supply inlet may be located close to one end of the trough member wherefore a relatively short spiral ribbon of ink will be allowed on one side thereof moving toward the adjacent end of said trough member and a relatively long spiral ribbon of ink will be allowed on the other side thereof moving toward the opposite end of said trough member.

The point is that a similar set of currents is established, they differing only in their lengths.

Contrariwise, a pairof ink supply inlets, each close to an end of the trough member may be empolyed wherefore two sets of spiral ribbons (one long and one short) may be created by each. In such event, the two oppositetrough and will merge into each other.

From the foregoing, it is obvious that I have provided a truly novel means for supplying ink to the cylinder of a high speed rotary intaglio printing press.

It is believed that the gist of the invention will be clearly understood from the foregoing disclosure and accordingly, further analysis thereof at this pointis considered unnecessary, as I have, in accordance with the provisions of the patent statutes, de'scribed the construction and principle of operation of my invention together with the apparatus which I believe to represent the best embodiment thereof, to the end that others can, by applying current knowledge, readily adapt it for various applications without omitting features which, from the standpoint of prior art, fairly constitute essential characteristics of its generic and/ or specific aspects. The substitution of equivalents and other changes, modifications and alterations as circumstances may suggest or render expedient, are reasonably contemplated, the invention being susceptible of such without departing from its real spirit or underlying principles.

The protection which is sought for this invention is covered by the language of the above specification and the spirit represented thereby.

The claims are desired to include within the scope thereof all of said suitable variations, modifications and equivalents by which substantially the results of the invention may be obtained through the use of substantially the same or equivalent devices or means. Accordingly, limitation hereof should only be made as determined by a proper interpretation of the prior art and the scope of the subjoined claims, in which it is my intention to claim all novelty inherent herein as broadly as possible.

I therefore particularly point out and distinctly claim as my invention:

1. Apparatus for inking the printing surface of a rotating intaglio cylinder comprising, a U-shaped flexible ink containing and distributing member having interconnected upper and lower portions enclosing an open-sided ink reservoir with the open-side extending peripherally-adjacent the printing surface of the cylinder longitudinally of the cylinder and transversely to the direction of movement of the printing surface of the cylinder, the printing surface of the cylinder defining a wall of the reservoir at the open-side thereof, an oscillator bar, means for oscillating said oscillator bar in side-to-side movement relative to the cylinder, a doctor blade coacting with the cylinder, support means pivoted relative to said oscillator bar for supporting said doctor blade in various angular positions with reference to the cylinder, the upper portion of said ink containing and distributing member being supported by said support means and movable therewith, the lower portion of said ink containing and distributing member serving as an apron in fluid-tight adjacency to the cylinder, means for introducing ink to the reservoir of said ink containing and distributing member, apron adjusting means mounted relative to said oscillator bar and supporting the lower portion of said ink containing and iii - distributing member for the movement of said toward and away from sealing engagement with the cylinder independently of the movement of said doctor blade toward and away from the cylinder.

2. The combination as set forth in claim 1 and further including, tensioning means carried by said oscillator bar for tensioning said doctor blade in position relative to the cylinder.

3. Apparatus for inking the printing surface of a rotating intaglio cylinder comprising, a U-shaped flexible/ink containing and distributing member having interconnected upper and lower portions enclosing an open-sided ink reservoir with the open-side extending peripherally-adjacent the printing surface of the cylinder longitudinally of the cylinder and transversely to the direction of movement of the printing surface of the cylinder, the printing surface of the cylinder defining a wall of the reservoir at the open-side thereof, an oscillator bar, means for oscillating said oscillator bar in side-to-side movement relative to the cylinder, a doctor blade coasting with the cylinder, support means pivoted relative to said oscillator bar for supporting said doctor blade in various angular positions with reference to the cylinder, the upper portion of said ink containing and distributing member being supported by said support means and movable therewith, the lower portion of said ink containing and distributing member serving as a flexible apron in fluid-tight adjacency to the cylinder, the opposite ends of the apron being arched in gradually-inclining manner relative to the horizontal plane of the longitudinal axis thereof for varying the aprondoetor blade dimension at the opposite cylinder ends and controlling the inking of the cylinder between the cylinder ends and the respective adjacent edges of the image area, and means for introducing ink to the reservoir of said ink containing and distributing member.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 782,341 2/05 Johnson 101-425 1,825,999 10/31 Fankboner 101-365 2,151,969 3/39 Henderson 101-157 2,177,656 10/39 Kaddleland 101157 2,278,138 3/42 Paardecamp 101157 2,278,387 3/42 Wickwire 101157 EUGENE R. CAPOZIO, Primary Examiner.

ROBERT E. PULFREY, Examiner, 

1. APPARATUS FOR INKING THE PRINTING SURFACE OF A ROTATING INTAGLIO CYLINDER COMPRISING, A U-SHAPED FLEXIBLE INKCONTAINING AND DISTRIBUTING MEMBER HAVING INTERCONNECTED UPPER AND LOWER PORTIONS ENCLOSING AN OPEN-SIDED INK RESERVOIR WITH THE OPEN-SIDE EXTENDING PERIPHERALLY-ADJACENT THE PRINTING SURFACE OF THE CYLINDER LONGITUDINALLY OF THE CYLINDER AND TRANSVERSELY TO THE DIRECTION OF MOVEMENT OF THE PRINTING SURFACE OF THE CYLINDER, THE PRINTING SURFACE OF THE CYLINDER DEFINING A WALL OF THE RESERVOIR AT THE OPEN-SIDE THEREOF, AN OSCILLATOR BAR MEANS FOR OSCILLATING SAID OSCILLATOR BAR IN SIDE-TO-SIDE MOVEMENT RELATIVE TO THE CYLINDER, A DOCTOR BLADE COACTING WITH THE CYLINDER, SUPPORT MEANS PIVOTED RELATIVE TO SAID OSCILLATOR BAR FOR SUPPORTING SAID DOCTOR BLADE IN VARIOUS ANGULAR POSITIONS WITH REFERENCE TO THE CYLINDER, THE UPPER PORTION OF SAID INK CONTAINING AND DISTRIBUTING MEMBER BEING SUPPORTED BY SAID SUPPORT MEANS AND MOVABLE THEREWITH THE LOWER PORTION OF SAID INK CONTAINING AND DISTRIBUTING MEMBER SERVING AS AN APRON IN FLUID-TIGHT ADJACENCY TO THE CYLINDER, MEANS FOR INTRODUCING INK TO THE RESERVOIR OF SAID INK CONTAINING AND DISTRIBUTING MEMBER, APRON ADJUSTING MEANS MOUNTED RELATIVE TO SAID OSCILLATOR BAR AND SUPPORTING THE LOWER PORTION OF SAID INK CONTAINING AND DISTRIBUTING MEMBER FOR THE MOVEMENT OF SAID TOWARD AND AWAY FROM SEALING ENGAGEMENT WITH THE CYLINDER INDEPENDENTLY OF THE MOVEMENT OF SAID DOCTOR BLADE TOWARD AND AWAY FROM THE CYLINDER. 